A New Start
by theimprobableone
Summary: It's 1974 and Sam and Annie are moving in together, but what happens when Annie's brother is found dead and the team are left to investigate? Will Annie do things properly? Or will she let family ties cloud her judgement? sam/annie annie's pov uk version


I do not own Life on Mars :( wish i did though!

Sam/Annie

My first LOM fanfic, enjoy!

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Chapter 1

"1974. A new year. No more funny stuff?" Even as I asked, I realise how probably pointless my question was. Sam was Sam, he did what he did oblivious to how it effected everyone around him, especially me.

"Alright Annie" He said, he sounded distant, I couldn't believe his words. He handed me yet another cardboard box and I began to open it.

"Are you sure about this?"

"About what?"

I motioned around us, boxes of our stuff littered every surface of the brand new flat we'd bought together. "This. Me. I don't care what's happened, Sam, I'm fed up of trying to figure you out, but do you believe in me, honestly?"

"Annie" He said, taking my head in his hands and looking deep into my eyes. "I have never been so sure of anything, I made my choice and I told you, I'm staying here with you, forever." And then he grinned, and my heart melted. That grin was both the beginning and the end of my world, whatever had happened before, no matter how he had hurt me, what he had done, Sam smiled at me and it didn't matter. His eyes would light up and I loved him, that was all that mattered.

There was a hammering on the door.

"OI! GLADYS! OPEN UP!" The familiar voice boomed, we'd been here less than an hour and already the Guv was barging in. Sam opened the door.

"What do you want?"

"Get your coat, you too Cartwright, there's been a murder, right on your bloody doorstep."

Sam chucked me my coat, and we quickly followed Gene, to my horror, not outside, but up the stairs and further into the building…oh God.

We stopped on the 6th floor, only two above our own. We were the first ones there.

"Shit" Sam cursed. Slumped against the door frame of flat 195 was the body of a man, pooled in his own blood with bullet holes in his back and head.

"He was trying to get inside" I realised.

"Well done Nancy Drew. Now Tyler, get in there and see what it was he wanted."

"These flats are all empty, Guv" He told him quietly. "They haven't sold these ones yet."

"No witnesses." I added.

Just at that moment, Ray and Chris turned up, laughing amongst themselves until they saw the dead man.

"Bout bloody time!" Gene barked, "See if he has ID"

"Right, Guv." Ray carefully moved the man to give himself easier access to his pockets. That's when I saw his face.

"No!" I whispered. Shocked. No, no, no, no. It wasn't him.

"Annie, what is it?" Sam already had his arms around me.

"His name is Benjamin Cartwright. He's my brother." I muttered, still not believing that it was him. The name on the inside of the wallet Ray held only confirmed what I already knew.

"I'm taking you home." Sam was already leading me away.

"No you are not! I need all hands on deck here!" Gene barked, Sam ignored him, as always.

"Sam…" I tried to form the words, my head still spinning. "We should stay."

"No. Annie, you're shaking like a leaf." He told me firmly.

I stopped my protest, suddenly finding just standing up difficult and leaned most of my weight onto him, he led me back into the jumbled mass of cardboard that was our new home. That's when the crying started. I collapsed in a heap, Sam put his arms around me, soothing me gently. The only thing breaking the silence was my broken sobs, it was hours before either of us spoke.

"I have to tell my parents."

"At least let me come with you to tell them." He offered.

"No, I have to do this Sam." And I set out into the night.

It wasn't late, the fresh cold air blew on my face and cleared my head. Why would anyone want to murder Benjamin? Of course, I knew the answer, I just didn't want to admit it. Ben was trouble, he always had been, it was comical really, most people said, me in the force, him spending so much time in custody that he practically lived there. He'd only just got out of prison. What was he doing here? Tonight of all nights.

My legs had carried me to my parent's street by now. I approached the house I had grown up in, suddenly wishing that Sam was there, I turned around, I couldn't face them. I saw a car, a man staring and fear twisted inside me. Relax, I told myself, you're a WDC for Christ's sake. He was getting out, walking towards me, I stood rooted to the spot.

"I was following you, I'm sorry, I thought you might need me, besides, it isn't safe." Sam said stepping into the light from the street lamps, relief washed over me, he took my hand and lead me back up the garden. He knocked on the door sharply, professionally.

"Mr and Mrs Cartwright?" He called out. "It's Detective Inspector Sam Tyler, could you let me in please?"

The door opened slowly, I saw my mother's face, she studied first Sam's DI badge, my tearstained face and then her eyes travelled to our still intertwined hands.

"Come in DI Tyler, Annie."

"Mam, Dad, sit down." I told them as Mum led us to the living room.

"What is it love?"

"Mum, it's Ben, he's…he's…" My voice faltered then failed.

"I'm sorry, your son is dead. He was murdered earlier this evening." Sam said gently, still clutching my hand.


End file.
